ENROLLED
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 93
BY REPRESENTATIVE LYONS
A RESOLUTION
To commend St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church for its community involvement.
WHEREAS, St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church was founded in 1880; it has been
led by five pastors over the course of its history: Reverend Joseph L. Dennis, Reverend
George Washington Williams, Reverend James Charles Wing, Reverend Talton Willie
Lewis, and its current pastor, Dr. Melvin Collins Zeno; and
WHEREAS, St. Joseph has provided disaster relief services on numerous occasions;
in 2016, the church helped salvage houses and provide food and clothing for victims of
disasters in South Carolina, and in 2017, it provided the same services to Hurricane Harvey
victims in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Port Arthur, Texas; in September 2020, the
church provided gift cards and cash assistance to residents of Lake Charles following
Hurricane Laura; and
WHEREAS, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the church's Feeding Ministry
provided more than six thousand meals annually; it has also assisted Habitat for Humanity
in the construction of twenty-three houses, and its Philadelphia Missionary Ministry
continues to help house the homeless and feed the hungry; and
WHEREAS, St Joseph instituted a social justice ministry in 2019 to help the
community understand the rights and privileges of American citizens; the ministry has
brought in representatives to discuss child care, child support and custody, domestic
violence, and voters' rights; and
WHEREAS, during the pandemic, St. Joseph distributed shoe boxes filled with
personal items and distributed gift bags of healthy foods at the Ozanam Inn; the church also
delivered turkey baskets to families for Thanksgiving and distributed gifts to foster children
for Christmas; and
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WHEREAS, St. Joseph also offers youth enrichment programs to the members of its
community; the church's Boys to Men program offers mentorship to boys ages five to
seventeen; the church's Youth and Young Adult Department organized its Education
Incentive Program to motivate children to strive for academic success; and
WHEREAS, St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church is an invaluable institution in
Jefferson Parish, and it is most deserving of recognition for its community involvement.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church for
its community involvement; does hereby recognize the church's dedication to Jefferson
Parish and people in need everywhere for over one hundred forty years; and does hereby
extend sincere hopes that it continue to serve as a beacon of light in times of darkness.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
pastor of St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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